Summary: Being able to stand on faith even when everything around us seems to be going up in flames.

The Babylonians invaded Palestine in 605 BC and carried away Jewish captives back to Babylon.

They selected the educated, prominent and choice men and boys.

Among this group was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo

I want us this morning to look quickly at the entire third Chapter of Daniel and see how we can be like Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo and be able to stand with “Faith in the midst of the fire”

Pray

1.- CIRCUMSTANCES – 3:1-3- King Nebuchadnezzar sets up an image of gold 90’ high and 9’ wide … over 9 stories tall.

He commands that, when the band begins to play, everyone will fall down and worship the statue … probably of himself.

2.- COMMAND – 3:4-5 – To defy the command of the King was a serious thing.

Satan puts pressure on us every day … life is filled with conflicts … there’s a spiritual battle going on.

3.- COST – 3:6 – Anyone who refused to worship this image would be cast into the fiery furnace. There’s always a COST involved, if you want to follow God.

4.- CHOICE – 3:7 – When the band began to play, the people fell down and worshipped the image.

That was a CHOICE they had. You & I are faced everyday with CHOICES.

We can do what we know is right in God’s eyes … or we can disobey God and do what WE want to do. It’s our CHOICE.

You have a CHOICE … to look good in the eyes of man … or in the eyes of God.

Joshua had the same decision to make.

Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

They had a CHOICE … whether or not to take a stand.

5.- CONTROL – 3:8-12 – Nebuchadnezzar wanted complete CONTROL of his subjects.

There were some in his court who were jealous of these 3 Hebrews, and they wanted them exposed for their infidelity to the King.

They point them out to Nebuchadnezzar … because they wanted to be in a place of CONTROL of the kingdom.